Latch.



PATENTBD NOV. 3, 1903.

No. 742.881. I .0. 0. LITTLE;

v' LATCH.

APPLICATION mum MAR. 11. 1903.

H0 MODEL.

Tig- 5 15 12 V 14 VA'YII;I IIIII% Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ORTON O. LITTLE, OF MENASHA, WISCONSIN.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,881, dated November3, 1903.

Application filed March 11, 1903. Serial No. 147,212- (No model.)

T0 at whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, ORTON C. LITTLE, a citizen of. the United States,and a resident of Menasha, in the county of Winnebago and State ofWisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Latches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to a metallic door bolt, catch, and locking-buttonwhich comprises a spring-actuated sliding bolt, a catch andbutton,particular1y applicable to cupboard-doors and screen and stormdoors of buildings, either with or without the locking-button, and aremade of iron, brass, or any suitable combination of metals in a suitablemold by casting or drop-forging each piece complete and are immediatelyapplicable upon a door upon their removal from the mold and the removalof any fins, sprues, or molding-sand and without their requiring anymechanical labor in preparing them for said use, excepting possibly insome cases the grinding smooth of the beveled end of the bolt, the boltand catch-piece being so shaped that when applied to a door and its jamba single push or pull will open or close the door,the invention beingillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a planof the sliding bolt, an edge view ot'its catch,and aplan of itslockingbutton, at the left of which in dotted lines is shown a slidingbolt in the reverse position from the one shown in heavy lines and thelocking-button turned into position for looking said second bolt. Fig. 2is a plan of the bottom side of the sliding bolt. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection longitudinally of the bolt upon the line a a. of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a'vertical section transversely of Fig. 1 upon the line b b. Fig. 5is a plan of the catch-piece. Fig. 6 is a vertical section upon the line0 c of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the locking-button,longitudinally thereof. Fig. 8 shows in section a door-jamb with adoorcatch thereon, one of the door-stiles of a screen-door shut against'or into said doorjamb, and a door-bolt of my improvement secured uponsaid stile, with a rear View of a locking-button arranged in the rear ofsaid bolt for locking the door upon the inside against its being openedfrom the outside,

said figure being upon a smaller scale than the previous figures.

Similar numerals indicate like parts in all the views.

1 indicates the door-bolt, having the end 2 beveled in two directionsand the recess 3 upon its lower side, the bridge-piece 4 across saidrecess, the screw-hole slot 5, extending lon-.

gitudinally of the bolt and over said bridgepiece, and thereby formingthe perforation 6, 7 being a second screw-hole slot.

8 indicates the catch-piece, having the nose 9 and two screw-holes 10,the opening 11 being only for lessening the weight of the catch.

12 indicates the locking-button, provided with its securing-screw hole13, operatingfinger 14, and locking contact-fingers 15, an angle 16being formed between the fingers 14 and 15, into which the rear end ofthe bolt is seated when the button is turned into its locking position,as shown in Fig. 1.

' In its normal position the finger 14 hangs downward, but is adapted tobe turned over nearly three-fourthsof a revolution in either direction,as the door-bolt may be upon the right or left, of the button forlocking the bolt from being slid backward whenever it is desired tosecure the door against being opened by a push or a pull thereon.

16 is a screw for securing the button in position, and 17 screws forholding the sliding bolt upon the door, and upon which it slideslongitudinally of the bolt.

18 represents a coiled spring, one end of which is secured around theforward screw 17 and the other around the bridge-piece 4, the action ofthe spring being to return the bolt to its outward position whenever itis retracted by the action of opening and closing the door.

As will be observed in Fig. 8, the bolt and its locking button areapplied to the door 19, the former with two screws 17 and the latterwith a single screw 16 and with no cutting of the door, the only worknecessary being the boring of holes for the three screws. Thecatch-plate may require to be seated in the jamb 20 the thickness of theplate, two screws being necessary for securing it thereto.

21 indicates the wire-cloth of the door.

This door-catch may be applied to either the outer or inner side of adoor as its particular use and purpose requires. In either case a pushor a pull upon the door will open or close the same and the catch willhold the door closed against a light force; but when it is desired tomake the door secure against opening by the turning of itslocking-button over against the bolt, as is shown in Fig. 1, the doorwill be securely locked.

It will be noted that the forward movement of the door-bolt for itsengagement with its catch piece is produced by the retractive force ofits spring and not by its compression, as is usual in bolts for thispurpose, and in consequence of this arrangement thereby holding saidspring at all times free from contact with the sides of the cavity inwhich it is located, whereas if, its compression acted to throw the boltinto engagement with its catch-piece the spring would be liable tobuckle and the coils of the wire to engage the sides of itsreceiving-cavity and be worn off by their rubbing contact therewith, andalso the friction of said coils in contact with said sides would lessenthe eifective force of the spring. For these reasons it is essentialthat the spring is suspended from its ends instead of resting upon thecoils of the wire and that the sliding backward of the bolt extendsinstead of compresses the spring, so that the retractive force of thespring throws the bolt forward into engagement with the catch-piece.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. A caseless door-bolt comprising a sliding bolt having a cavityarranged upon its lower side longitudinally thereof and a bridge-pieceacross said cavity intermediate the upper and lower sides of said cavityhaving a passage entirely around said bridge-piece,said cavity,

bridge-piece and passage, being formed in the casting or drop-forging ofsaid bolt, a suitconnected with a fixed part upon the door to which thebolt is applied, whereby, npon the sliding backward of-said bolt fromits engagement with its catch-piece, said spring will be extended inlength and the retraction thereof will slide said bolt forward intoengagement with its catch-piece, substantially as described.

2. In a caseless locking door-catch, a bolt therefor consisting of asingle piece having its catch-engaging end beveled in two directions,twofastening-screw-holding slots therein, a screw for each slot, a cavityupon the lower side of said bolt longitudinally thereof, a coiled springarranged along said cavity, a bridge-piece formed across said cavity incasting or drop-forging said bolt adapted to have one end of said springsecured to said bridge-piece and the other to the forwardfastening-screw aforesaid, a catch-plate suitably arranged with whichthe engaging end of said bolt is adapted to be engaged for holding adoor closed, and the reversible lockingbutton 12, having theoperating-finger 14; and two bolt-locking fingers 15 secured to the doorin the rear ofsaid bolt for holding the door locked by the partialrevolution of said button and the engagement of its lockingfingers withthe rear end of said bolt, substantially as set forth.

ORTON C. LITTLE.

Witnesses:

J os. L. FIEWEGER, CHAS. R. KEIL.

